Have you ever searched for a business’s hours of operation on Google to find the answer right on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) without having to visit their website? This is due to structured data, which is also known as Schema markup.
What is Schema markup? Schema markup, or schema.org vocabulary, is the language of search engines, originally created by Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Yandex in 2011. The markups are applied to the content of webpages to tell search engines what to do with the information on the page. It tells the SERP to display something to search engines. Schema markup is user-focused and meant to help search engines match searchers with the content they are looking for.
The number of websites that incorporate Schema elements are increasing. Businesses who use Schema markup in their coding get rewarded with what is known as “rich results,” which are also known as rich snippets. Rich results can include ratings, information panels on the right-hand side of the screen, and more. This will make your dealership stand out more on the search engine page, while also providing users with more information about your business.
To learn more about Schema markup and how it works with Google searches, click here.
So why should you incorporate Schema elements in your dealership website? Here are 4 reasons why incorporating Schema markup in your website coding will greatly benefit your dealership:
1. It will increase your SEO rankings. Incorporating schema.org vocabulary will make it so your web content is more likely to show up on SERPs. According to SearchMetrics, websites that had Schema markup ranked an average of 4 positions higher than those who didn’t. The higher your ranking on Google SERPs is, the more likely someone is going to discover your dealership. Many users aren’t willing to go past the first page of results when they do searches, and some users won’t even look past the first few results.
2. It will increase your number of online leads. Schema.org vocabulary allows you to make it so specific information shows up in your search engine results. When a potential customer makes searches on Google about a local business, their searches are likely to include: address, phone number, reviews, services, and more. Schema markup allows you to define these things clearly.
You can include other things such as ratings, website descriptions, web page descriptions, events, and much more, which are known as rich snippets. People are more likely to visit websites that have a rich snippet. According to Search Engine Land, businesses with a rich snippet saw a 30% increase in click-through rates, and therefore an increase in sales.
3. It will make your dealership searchable by voice search devices. Have you ever used Siri, Google Assistant, or an Amazon Alexa before? Many of your customers are using them too. Voice searches will consist of 50% of all searches by 2020, according to ComScore. If you incorporate Schema markup in your website coding, Google will automatically make the marked-up information searchable by Google Assistants.
4. You can be in control of your dealership’s name, address, and phone number (N.A.P.). Business directories often create automated listings, which can include errors and cause frustration to your customers. Using Schema markup allows you to clarify this information instead of having search engines rely on online citations or other data.
To get started, Google has provided a structured data markup helper. They also have a structured data testing tool
Schema markup can be difficult to understand at first, which is why most businesses don’t use it in their website coding. Therefore, optimizing your website using Schema markup will give you a competitive advantage and help your business stand out from the competition in searches. Now is the time to get a head start and increase your search rankings!
Need more information or looking to boost your dealer website’s SEO? AutoJini provides websites for auto dealerships that are SEO-implemented and created with automotive marketing in mind. For more information on our dealership websites and to learn more about our SEO services, call us at (515) 232-2024.